Mode of forming- crucibles and other articles of earthenware



JOHN AKRILL, OF' WILLIAMSBURG, NEW YORK.

MODE OF FORMING CRUCIBLES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF EARTHENWARE.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 9,351, dated October 26, 1852.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jol-IN AKRILL, of Williamsburg, Kings county, Stateof New York, manufacturer of clay goods, have invented, made, andapplied to use certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery forAMaking Crucibles of Clay, Plumbago, or Similar Material; and I herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe construction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawing, making part of this specitication, wherein- Figure l,is a section of the mold and former; Fig. 2, is an end elevation of themold; Fig. 3, is an elevation of the end of the former, or cutter andFig. 4, is a similar view of the polisher to polish the interior of thecrucible.

The like marks of reference denote the same parts.

a, represents one end of a mandrel, supported in any usual manner towhich a rotary motion is to be given by proper power; b, is a face chuckand c, is the screw nose of the mandrel; (Z is a circular and taperingplug of the size of the bottom of the crucible, which fits into theconical shaped chamber e. It will be now seen that the screw c, takingthe plug d, draws the plug d, and chamber e, tight up against the chuckb. The chamber c, determines the exterior shape of the crucible, and hasa curvature in one side see Fig. 2, which allows the material of whichthe crucible is made to project so that after the crucible is otherwisefinished a chase or groove may be cut in the inside of the edge to forma pouring lip.

f, are two flanches or ears on opposite sides of the mold e, havingscrew pins l and wedges 2, in them whiph receive and retain the cylinderg, by corresponding ears to the ears f. This cylinder g, forms the topof the Crucible, and by screwing the pins l, in or out a shorter orlonger Crucible will be formed. These parts so far as described are old,and form no part of my claim, but with this apparatus a rammer or plugwas used which after a certain quantity of clay was putinto the moldwasj brought down by power, pressing up the Cla-y around its sides, thisrequired great power, and the clay required to be very plastic.

In my improved plan the mold e, is iilled with clay of a hard thoughsomewhat plastic consistence and a knife z', Figs. 1, and 3, is

brought up so that the rotary motion given to the mold e, causes theknife to cut away or remove the clay from the mold to form the inside ofthe Crucible. This knife c', is here represented as on the mandrel 7L,of the poppet head of a lathe, and the knife is formed as two cut-tersand l, on opposite sides of the part z', and one knife may have serratededges as shown. The small project-ions on each side of the stock z', ofthe cutters, taking the outer end of the cylinder g, determine the depthto which the cutter is to be made to operate,and these lugs may be madeadjustable so as to cut any required depth.

After the surplus material is removed the interior of the crucible is tobe polished by a burnisher m, Fig. 4, of the shape of the interior ofthe crucible the edges being rounded so as to compress the material intothe mold and smooth and polish the inner surface. This burnisher may besustained on the mandrel of the poppet head the same as the cut-ter z'.

The Crucible is to be removed, after the mold c, has been removed fromthe chuck b, by shoving up the bottom d, after the cylinder g is alsoremoved as now practised.

I am aware as before stated that the mold c, has been used, and I amalso aware that pottery ware has been turned in a lathe, but I am notaware of a tool formed as herein shown of the shape of the interior ofthe crucibles having been made and used to remove the surplus clay whilein a partially plastic state, the mold c, forming the outside of thecrucible, and supporting the clay.

I do not limit myself to rotating the mold as the cutter and burnishermay be rotated,

neither do I limit myself to any particular character of earthy andplastic material of which the crucible is to be formed.

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The cutters lo and Z, onthe stock z', in combination with the mold e, to either or bot-h ofwhich a rotary motion is given, so as to remove the surplus material andshape the crucible as described and shown.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this twenty fifthday of June one thousand eight hundred and fifty two.

JOHN AKRILL.

Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. TERRELL, CHARLES TENCELTENT.

